Phils Come Back to Defeat Brewers, 7-6

The Phillies came back to beat the Brewers in a stunning ninth-inning comeback by a score of 7-6. Starting pitcher Roy Halladay struggled throughout the game, but the Phils pulled off the win in the end. The inning started with a walk by Jimmy Rollins, followed by a single by Juan Pierre, who then stole second.

Then, in the fourth inning, he gave up a three-run home run to Carlos Gomez. Overall, he gave up six runs over five innings.

Here’s his final line: 6 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 1 BB, 3 K, 92 pitches. His season ERA is now over 4.

Halladay just doesn’t look right. His pitches are lacking their “stuff”, and it’s showing. If there is any reason to believe that he needs more time for his shoulder, the Phils should shut him down and let him completely heal up.

GAME NOTES:

Shane Victorino left the game after behind hit in the elbow with a pitch. The official report from the team is left elbow contusion.

Roy Halladay finished with 3 strikeouts, giving him 1,999 for his career. Unless he hits the DL, he’ll get that 2,000th strikeout in his next outing for sure.

Ryan Howard and Chase Utley hit back-to-back homers–the fourth time those two have done so together in their careers. This was the first time that both homers were off of a left-handed pitcher, however.

This is kind of play we have come to know, love, and even expect from the Phillies in the last 5 years. A team that was never out of it until the last out was made. This was a pretty sweet win tonight.
That said, I wonder if Doc will ever be the pitcher he used to be. Even before his DL stint he was not pitching well, velocity was down and his pitches weren’t moving like they used to. Is this just a bad streak or is he getting old and losing it? Sure hope its not the latter. Doc is 35. Using a guy like Greg Maddux as an example, the last year he had very good numbers, he was 36. Doc is 35. His reign as one of the best may be coming to an end.

Your points are very fair, and not at all overreactive, but I don’t know that I’d advise the timing of wondering if he’s done as one of the best.

Short term, while it’s fair to wonder how healthy he is because it wasn’t a good outing, I think the question of if he’s finished as one of the game’s best might better be placed a couple months into next year.

Even short term, while it’s fair to wonder, maybe he should have about 5 starts off the injury before people start drawing conclusions.

Some of the faces have changed in the Brewer lineup, but they banged him around pretty well in a game at the Bank early part of last year. There are easier matchups.

allthough i don’t think doc is done, i think his days as an elite pitcher are! and that’s if his volocity doesn’t come back. coles volocity was down the whole season in 09 and we saw what kind of a pitcher he was! without that 93-94 mph fastball to set his other stuff up make them just average starters. it happened to lidge also! everthing works off of that! ( my god i sound like wheels) please forgive me guys.

While I can see your concern, I do think it’s too early to tell. (I sure hope so, anyway!) He’s coming off an injury, so his velocity and command may not be there yet.

I know that Maddux began something of a decline in his late thirties, but there have been others who have done quite well. Nolan Ryan was still throwing no-hitters into his forties, Warren Spahn won twenty games in his forties, Carlton also didn’t lose it very early. Mariano Rivera, though pitching far fewer innings, was extremely effective at age 40.

Hamels isn’t the best comparison, either. In 2009, his fastball wasn’t up to snuff, but he also had no real assortment of offspeed stuff. Batters could just lay off that changeup, because the only other pitches he had were the heater and one of the world’s worst curves. Now, when his velocity is down (which it sometimes is), he can mix in an improved curve and some nasty cutters and still has a good chance to win.

This is a game I will really remember, because at around the 7th inning, I wanted to stand up and leave, like any old phan I didn’t want to stay any longer to experience another painful loss towards the end. ALMOST! But a thought made me stay and finish the game, I told myself to stay awhile and see once and for all to know if with the core team back (Rollins, Utley, Howard, Ruiz, Rollins), if our team is REALLY as good as I remember them to be, then hey, we’ve got a chance to rally ! To my greatest amazement, we DID!

We may not win any title this year, but I LOVE the spirit of Phillies! I hope this is the start of a winning streak, they’re back! Our old beloved spirited Phillies are BACK! Woohoo!!! (happy phan!)

Arte I totally understand where you are coming from. Last month I did actually pick up and leave my seat after they blew a lead and Bastardo barfed up a GS late. This one, after the early back to backs, after seeing the BP not implode (even Schwim-Jim was on the money) for the second game in a row, after Rollins sealed the victory in the bottom of the 12th the day before – I held on (my neighbor got my tickets, I sure hope he stayed).

Phils are now 19-28 at home. 47 games down, 34 more to go. To break even or wind up at 41-40 the Phils would need to play .650 ball at 22-12. Should I keep doing this to myself? It’s not impossible for them to make a WC, OK I said it. I’m not sure I really believe it but it spewed out of my fingers.

Not an easy road ahead, they are still 7-10 in July so far with 6 games to go. After the most dismal June in recent history…

hey brooks through all the whining we do ( and i’m a big whiner) and all the crappy play or non play all we have left is to HOPE that they can go on a run. we all know they’re capable of doing it. but do they know they can do it? i feel as though a win like this can make them believe. if the pen can stay on the course it is now you never know! if howard and utley can spark them ( did you see utley go first to third?) it can happen. utleys baserunning is truely amazing ! we all know he’s knees are crap. but give the man his due he gives it 150% when he’s on the field, that’s why we all love him. and howard? the man just gets RBI!

I’m not exactly sure why, but for some reason, this win did not surprise me. Maybe it was the opponent or maybe it was those two early home runs and the good fortune of having the replay go the Phils’ way.

It’s too bad this team was incomplete and had rotten performances and rotten luck earlier in the year. Lately they’ve been doing what they’ve always done; winning when they had little chance to do so.

Schenkman – It’s completely useless arguing with the anti-Rollins crowd . . . they still complain that he bats leadoff- and that he won’t win another MVP . . . . they don’t get that he’s still one of the best SS in the game, and just because a player is declining doesn’t mean he’s done …. a declining Rollins is still . . . . . ONE OF THE BEST SS IN THE GAME.

I’ve said for two years now – if Galvis was legit defensively, i’d shift Rollins to 3b (because he definitely has the hands and the arm), and the first thing he would start to lose would be his range. He could save his legs a little at 3b too- which might help him remain a threat on the basepaths longer

I was thinking of you last night, Manny!! That game was like watching the old, never-say-die team from the past few years. I think Ricky Bo said on the Postgame show something about them finally all being reasonably healthy. Is it too late for a run?? Are they too far back with too many teams to catch? Probably….but who knows. Stranger things have happened.

Just like I’ll never leave a game before it’s over I won’t stop watching this team til their last game is played.

Ha that’s awesome! I was not expecting us to win it.. and I said to myself that we needed to start sweeping some series… especially one like this one against the Brewers who are directly ahead of us. And after winning that game in that fashion… wow, it felt pretty damn good.

I also adhere to the “not leaving/turning off the TV till the last out” policy. The best games I’ve ever seen are these ones… they are the ones that you make realize how much we love this game. This one, I think, has been the most memorable game so far this season. Very refreshing. Ultey-Howard back to back.. against lefties.. WHAT. And then 4-runs in the 9th.. that single up the middle by Howard.. and what he said in the post-game interview about “trying to chip away” rather than feast/famine.. that was really good to hear, especially from him!

Don, from what I have seen this year, Galvis is pretty darn good with the glove. Not as good as I was back in the day for the Phillies when I made that catch over the fence and then got stuck in space behind it, but he was pretty damn good defensively. Offensively….well…I think that is obvious. Lol.

This is more like the phillies I was used to seeing…..great play and determination in the ninth. It’s like they refused to say die. Even if they don’t win the a WC ….I’d enjoy watching them try. Hopefully no more injuries!

The Fish sent a message yesterday in being willing to trade 2 pretty good players (Sanchez is definitely a good player, Infante maybe a notch below, but minimal amount). But they got a good deal back, highlighted by Turner (can’t say I’ve seen him pitch, some assumption there, but excellent rep, fwiw). The message is you will pay if you want our quality. Josh is in a coming back year, and is a health risk anyway, but man, he is really, really good. He won’t move unless its a really great deal.

But Hanley. Geez. Realistic Triple Crown threat at one time, now reduced to an average player. Do you deal for him including the seemingly more than alleaged problems?

Put it this way. The Phils brass needs to sit down and take a serious look at if they should even call the Fish and get a discussion going. It’s a tough trade with limited ready prospects, but I’m a firm believer the Marlins get less for Hanley than they like. And they probably move him anyway. Get Randy Choate thrown in, and it might be the 2012 edition of Scott Eyre.

But the whole point is you don’t dismiss the idea without internal discussion.